1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic transmission of messages.
2. Background Art
The International Organization for Standardization has adopted a format standard called ISO 8583 for exchanging financial transaction originated messages (“ISO 8583: Financial Transaction Card Originated Messages-Interchange Message Specifications”, 2003, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). ISO 8583 specifies message structure, format, content, data elements, and values for data elements. There are different types of ISO 8583 messages, such as, and without limitation, point-of-sale messages and ATM transaction messages, which vary depending on the purpose of the message.
When a transaction occurs, the related ISO 8583 message is transmitted for processing to a transaction processing facility (TPF), such as that provided by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) of Armonk, N.Y. When a user, such as a financial transaction card issuing company, is testing, for example and without limitation, connectivity of a system, different types of messages, or new processes, such as a new authorization process within a TPF, a test message must be sent to a TPF. The TPF response will indicate whether the message can be used. The TPF response will also indicate any negative impacts that may affect the transaction card issuer or the cardmember.
In order to test a TPF response to a particular type of message, a programmer has been required to code a driver for each specific message. This is a slow and time consuming process. What is needed is a system and method for sending test messages without requiring individual programming of each message.